Putting the "Good" Back in Good News

From September 13 through October 11, we will focus on five themes from the Gospel of Mark in Sunday school, in worship. and in our sermons.

Good News Sermon Series

On Baccalaureate Sunday, I stepped out of the pulpit and stood to face our high school graduates. My simple summary of the Gospel was pastoral and parental (one of those grads being from my own home). The sermon title matched my feelings as we prepared to send a son into the real world: “Wait... did I tell you this?!” I re-read the Gospel of Mark, looking for its main points, and five themes emerged. The response was as loud and affirming as any sermon I’ve preached in a long time. Immediately the Ministry Council and staff began to look for ways to capitalize on what was obviously a hit-home message. The result is that from September 13 through October 11 we will focus on these five themes in Sunday school, worship and in our sermons:

September 13: You are Loved This will also be a “Second Sunday at Park Road” emphasis for college students.

September 20: It’s Good News

September 27: This is Hard Stuff

October 4: It’s About Relationship This is also World Communion Sunday, and our Chin Bethel partner church will worship with us.

October 11: Love Never Fails This is High Attendance Sunday (and also a celebration of our 15th anniversary at PRBC).

We believe the gospel really is GOOD NEWS, and we hope to celebrate that message in the coming weeks. This would be a GREAT time for you to invite a friend –maybe someone who has “left the Church because of the Church.” Will you consider doing that?

I hope we can say it clearly, and reach out to some people who need to hear it clearly: Help us “Put the ‘Good’ back in Good News!”

--Russ Dean

Sunday School Curriculum

In conjunction with the “Putting the “Good” Back in Good News” worship emphasis this fall, we have devised an exciting adult curriculum for the five weeks of September 13 to October 11.

Adults are asked to meet in the Milford Chapel at 9:45 each of these Sunday mornings for a 15 minute presentation. Then we will be dismissed to go to our Sunday Morning Connection Groups (formerly known as Sunday School classes) for some follow-up discussion on the topic for that day. If you are not currently a member of a Sunday morning group, don’t worry, we will help you find the right group just for you!

Each week we’ll be looking at a different aspect of connecting with people at Park Road. We will examine the why and how of “enlarging our tent,” of really getting folks engaged with each other and with Park Road. This will be an exciting time of sharing visions and deciding on actions to help Park Road share the message of the Good News of God’s kingdom through the way of Jesus to more people.